How do you know...

[Caty]

I just try to go back and think about what I doing, what mood I was in adn stuff when the thougts happen. I read somewhere If you think about the thoughts, then it becomes sin??? Sometimes it's the same phrase over and over so when it happens I question whether or not it's OCD or if I'm used to thinking it. So, we cannot be condemed over our thoughts, is that true??

 

[kaykay9.0]

I just try to go back and think about what I doing, what mood I was in adn stuff when the thougts happen. I read somewhere If you think about the thoughts, then it becomes sin??? Sometimes it's the same phrase over and over so when it happens I question whether or not it's OCD or if I'm used to thinking it. So, we cannot be condemed over our thoughts, is that true??

No,I don't believe we are condemned over our thoughts. As I said, ANYTHING is liable to be able to run through our minds. This is true EVEN if you don't have OCD. Of course, then a lot of times we panic and begin to ruminate about the thoughts just like you said. This is common too. In my opinion, it's ALL part of the OCD pattern. Again, even people without OCD tendencies have weird thoughts cross their mind from time to time, but when "a non-OCD plagued person" has some weird or bizarre or troubling thought flit across their mind, they tend to just forget it and not dwell on the fact that it was there. Does this make sense?

Really, the single most effective way (and this is hard if you do have OCD) to get rid of unwanted thoughts is simply to recognize them for what they are. They are simply mind clutter. These kind of thoughts do NOT have any spiritual significance. Once you really believe that and can kind of "let the thoughts" alone and not panic when and if they come across your mind, they will soon become less and less frequent. The fear and panic about them tends to "fuel" them and increase them rather than decrease them.

 

[Caty]

I just worry that they are from me, but it seems like (i know this is wrong to do) if I don't pinch or hit myself or say outloud that i detest these thoughts, then to me I didn't. So i try to think to myself, if this is really me and i really want these thoughts, then i don't want to be like that. Does that make sense? is that an indication that they are not from me?

 

[kaykay9.0]

I just worry that they are from me, but it seems like (i know this is wrong to do) if I don't pinch or hit myself or say outloud that i detest these thoughts, then to me I didn't. So i try to think to myself, if this is really me and i really want these thoughts, then i don't want to be like that. Does that make sense? is that an indication that they are not from me?

I think it's quite obvious that you don't want these thoughts. That's the crux of the matter.

This is my suggestion for dealing with unwanted thoughts. Just say to the Lord, ONE time and ONE time only. " Lord, you know I don't want these thoughts. So from now on, in order to decrease them, when they come, I am going to simply ignore them as best I can." (This helps YOU feel better about it though it's probably unnecessary as the Lord knows exactly what you're doing anyway.) He knows you don't want these thoughts.

Anyway, after that, ignore the thoughts. Don't argue with them, pinch yourself or anything else. Just let them alone. Just realize that this IS actively fighting them...in the most EFFECTIVE way possible in my opinion. They will decrease if you don't panic about them and leave them alone. Just let them come or not come. Either way, do nothing and eventually they will lessen.

 

[Caty]

I also feel like sometimes I deliberately think the thoughts, just to see how I will detest them, to see if it will be good enough, is that forgivable??? Or if I go through a dry spell for like a week and I don’t have them, I think something is wrong with me cause I’m so used to them and I worry. But until I read about what the real unpardonable sin was id didn’t have bad thoughts about that, I had thoughts that were blasphemous, but those were forgivable. The ones now aren’t.

 

[keryakos]

I just try to go back and think about what I doing, what mood I was in adn stuff when the thougts happen. I read somewhere If you think about the thoughts, then it becomes sin??? Sometimes it's the same phrase over and over so when it happens I question whether or not it's OCD or if I'm used to thinking it. So, we cannot be condemed over our thoughts, is that true??

No its only if you entertain them if you delight in them ..let me give you an example i have had harm thoughts of physically harming my nephew ..i would cut my own throat before i would do that ..now i dont choose to think about harming someone i love ..but if i were to sit and think about them for the purpose of delighting in them then that is sin ..it is the difference between someone who in a fever cusses you out ..well they might not have done so otherwise ..i heard of a woman who had a stroke before hand she would not curse afterwards she would cuss like a sailor ..was she in control ..no if curse words entered her mind did she mean them..not at all ..its the same with ocd i understand ..

 

[Caty]

what about my other post, sometimes i think i deliberatly think them just to see my reaction; to see if it will be good enough to detest the thought. i don't know if that's the case though. but i also get what you are saying, if i were to think it over and over because i liked it, then it would be sin right?

 

[Caty]

so is that how i know that i don't really want it. see people say God knows us better then we know ourselves, that scares me cause i hope that really deep down inside i'm not a mean hard hearted person, i hope that i really want forgiveness. i worry sometimes that i have the wrong intentions and i'm overlooking them, or that because i have committed the unforgivable sin, that maybe i'm not being conivcted of them. i'm so tired or worrying.

 

[keryakos]

what about my other post, sometimes i think i deliberatly think them just to see my reaction; to see if it will be good enough to detest the thought. i don't know if that's the case though. but i also get what you are saying, if i were to think it over and over because i liked it, then it would be sin right?

Yes that is right ...

but i think what you describing are mind games we sufferes play sometimes with ourselves sometimes someone will think a thought and put a NOT behiond it to cancel it out .

 

[kaykay9.0]

what about my other post, sometimes i think i deliberatly think them just to see my reaction; to see if it will be good enough to detest the thought. i don't know if that's the case though. but i also get what you are saying, if i were to think it over and over because i liked it, then it would be sin right?

I think keryakos identified it well, if you liked the thoughts, delighted in the thoughts, and wanted them to be there, it would be sinful, but you don't.

so is that how i know that i don't really want it. see people say God knows us better then we know ourselves, that scares me cause i hope that really deep down inside i'm not a mean hard hearted person, i hope that i really want forgiveness. i worry sometimes that i have the wrong intentions and i'm overlooking them, or that because i have committed the unforgivable sin, that maybe i'm not being conivcted of them. i'm so tired or worrying.

Again, this sounds like an OCD pattern. Sometimes we just get too introspective and can't see the forest for the trees. At the end of the day, the truth is you want to to do right and have forgiveness as you said. That is the important thing. We all probably have some mixed motives and intentions. I don't think you should be concerned about that.